09/20/2000
Region III Report Features Hudson Valley Athletes

Hudson Valley Community College's athletes nd teams are well represented on the weekly NJCAA Region III athletic report released today. The report includes statistics from more than 30 two-year colleges from across the Northeast.

Hudson Valley's women's soccer team (2-2) is currently ranked 10th in Region III. The Vikings, unranked in last week's report, climbed into the top 10 by registering a 2-1 victory against Herkimer County Community College, who was previously undefeated. The Vikings host SUNY Morrisville (1-2) at 4 p.m. today and SUNY Cobleskill (1-3) at noon on Saturday, September
23.

The Vikings' men's soccer team (3-1) is ranked seventh in Region III. Hudson Valley began the season 3-0, the team's best start in four years. Austin Gagnon (Tamarac) is the fourth-ranked goalie, allowing just 1.13 goals per game. As a team, the Vikings are third in goals against, giving up 0.71 scores per contest. Hudson Valley travels to SUNY Cobleskill for a 4 p.m. contest on Thursday, September 21.

Jennifer Dufore (Ballston Spa) is rated second in blocks (1.10 per game) and fifth in hitting efficiency (26.5%) among female volleyball players. Jill Plude (Fort Edward) is averaging 1.27 kills per game, good for fifth in Region III. Ebony Addison (Albany) is fifth in aces
(45.0%). The Vikings (0-6-1) play at Herkimer County Community College (3-6) at 9 p.m. today.

Hudson Valley's football team (1-2) is ranked first in total passing offense (175.0 yards per game) in Region III and in the Northeast Football Conference. The Vikings are second in team offense (332.7 yards), passing defense (91.0 yards allowed per game) and rushing defense (108.7 yards). Hudson Valley
is fourth in rushing offense (157.6 yards). The Vikings host Dean Junior College (2-0) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 23.

Individually, defensive back Derrick Black (Tarboro, NC) is ranked first in Region III with two interceptions
and linebacker Keith Hill (Schenley, PA) leads the way with 30 tackles. Two Vikings are ranked second: Quarterback Justin Kastner (Hudson) has thrown for 363 yards and kicker James Muscatello (Cohoes) has 12 points on a pair of field goals and six extra points. Muscatello is also averaging 33.9 yards per punt, third-best. Wide receiver Shawn Miller (Troy), a freshman, has 11 receptions (3.7 per contest), which places him third. Tailback Gary Jones (Ravena) is third in rushing (248 yards in three games) and scoring (four touchdowns).

Hudson Valley Community College, located in Troy, offers more than 50 degree and certificate programs in four academic divisions; Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, Hudson Valley has an enrollment of more than 9,000 students each year, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining.